Air release construction for folding door



June 3, 1969 J. A. SMART 3,447,534

AIR RELEASE CONSTRUCTION FOR FOLDING DOOR Filed Aug.' 21, 1967 L A i X* ./ay A. Smurf INVENTOR.

46 m Attorney:

United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 160-84 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An overhead support and track unit for double folding doors of the type providing an internal sound barrier space, the unit incorporating laterally spaced parallel tracks with an air release chamber defined therebetween in overlying relation to the internal door air chamber. Air passages are provided between the door chamber and the overhead track unit chamber so as to allow for the free movement of air therebetween whereby an escape of air from the door is easily effected during the opening of the door so as to avoid any movement resisting air cushion and allow for a smooth movement of the door as the internal door air chamber is being collapsed.

The instant invention is concerned with new and useful improvements in sound insulating door construction, and more particularly relates to a unique overhead track unit for use in conjunction with double folding doors of the type wherein parallel simultaneously collapsible sections are provided with an internal sound insulating chamber defined therebetween.

It is a significant object of the instant invention to provide means for enabling the effective release of air from the door chamber `as the door is being opened so as to facilitate the opening movement of the door and preclude any substantial movement retarding air cushion.

In conjunction with the above object, it is an object of the instant invention to provide for the desired air release directly through the dual overhead support and door tracking unit.

Furthermore, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide the desired air release construction in an economically feasible manner which in no way detracts from the appearance of the over-all unit or interferes with the basic operation thereof, other than having the desirable aspect of improving the operability of the door.

Basically, in achieving the above objects it is contemplated that the air release construction comprise a pair of laterally spaced elongated door supporting tracks defining an enlarged Vair chamber therebetween. The air chamber includes a bottom panel which directly overlies the folding door and which is provided with a series of air passages or holes vertically therethrough whereby air from the subjacent door chamber will effectively discharge upwardly into the overhead track unit air chamber for ultimate discharge beyond the lead post.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described `and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional View through the overhead track unit comprising the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional detail taken substantially on a plane passing along line 2-2 in FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view, with portions broken away, generally illustrating the air flow `as it occurs during the opening of a pair of center meeting doors.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 is used to generally designate the overhead track unit of the instant invention. This unit 10 will be mounted on a door opening header 12 by initially securing, centrally along the header 12, a flat panel-like spacer 14 of Masonite or the like. The two door section tracks 16 are then located along the opposed edges of the spacer 14 and in turn rigidly affixed, as by screws 18, to the door header 12.

The tracks 16 are generally conventional in nature, including a pair of laterally directed upper flanges 20` and a similar pair of laterally directed lower flanges 22, in conjunction with an access slot 24 through the lower surface lthereof for the reception of the wheeled door-supporting pins 26, the wheels 28 of which run along opposed tracking grooves defined internally within the tracks 16.

Seated on the opposed inwardly directed lower flanges 22 of the two tracks 16 is a substantially full length panel 30 of Masonite or the like which defines an internal air chamber 32 between the laterally spaced tracks 16. The panel 30 is provided with a series of vertical air passages or holes 34 therethrough so as to communicate the chambei 32 with the air space below the bottom panel 30.

The overhead vtrack unit 10 is completed by a pair of opposed angle-shaped cornices 36 and associated fasciae 38. As will be appreciated from FIGURE 1, each cornice 36 includes a horizontal mounting flange 40 engaging against the outwardly projecting upper flange 20 of the adjacent track 16 and projecting laterally outward therefrom in a coplanar relation thereto, this flange 40 being secured to the ceiling in an appropriate manner. Each cornice 36 also includes a vertical depending decorative flange 42 which includes an inwardly directed support shelf 44 on the inner face thereof coplanar with the outwardly directed lower flange 22 of the corresponding track 16 with the flange 22 and shelf 44 cooperating so as to support the corresponding facia 38, the edges of which are upwardly offset so as to rest on the flange 22 and shelf 44 in a manner which Iwill be readily appreciated from the drawings.

The door 46 which will be utilized with the overhead track unit 10 can be of any appropriate construction, such as that illustrated in applicants copending application, Ser No. 563,559, filed July 7, 1966, and will include laterally spaced parallel door sections 48 which define a hollow sound insulating air chamber 50 therebetween. These door sections 48 are of course foldable in nature, comprising a plurality of hinge interconnected vertical panels as in a conventional folding door, the individual panels being rigidly locked to the overhead mounting pins 26 and thus slidably supported by the two tracks 16 of the overhead track unit 10.

In order to complete the sound insulating qualities of such double folding doors 46, flexible sweeps, generally indicated by reference numeral 52 in FIGURE 1, are provided along both the upper and lower edges of the door sections 48 in a manner so as to flexibly engage both the bounding upper surface, which in the illustrated instance would be composed of the fasciae 38 and bottom chamber panel 30, and the lower bounding surface which can be the floor. Inasmuch as such sweeps 52 tend to completely seal the internal door air chamber, a problem arises as to the air within the door air chamber 50 as the door is being opened, that is, the sections 48 collapsed upon themselves. This problem is uniquely solved by the overhead track unit 10 of the instant invention in that the air built up during the collapsing of the door 46 is immediately discharged into the track unit air chamber 32 through the air passages or holes 34. The air discharged from the door chamber into the track unit chamber can in turn easily llow out of the track chamber forward of the lead post of the opening door 46 as suggested by the 3 ow arrows in FIGURE 3. As the door 46 is subsequently being closed, that is the sections 4S expanded, a relatively free flow of air will be effected thereinto in a reverse manner thereby preventing any tendency for a vacuum developing such as might interfere with the desired free movement of the door 46.

Incidently, while the air release path has been shown as extending through the chamber defined between the tracks 16, it is also possible that individual paths can be provided through the chambers 54 defined by each cornice 36 and the associated fascia 38 through the provision of appropriate holes or air passages `in the fasciae 38. inasmuch as during the collapsing of the door sections 48 the sections fold outwardly into underlying relation to the adjoining overhead fascia 38, air holes can be appropriately located in the fascia so as to either continuously, or after an initial collapsing movement of the corresponding section 48, communicate with the internal door chamber so as to receive the normally trapped air therefrom for venting to the exterior, thereby functioning in substantially the same manner as the specifically illustrated internal overhead track unit releasing chamber.

From the foregoing, it should be appreciated that a highly unique overhead track unit for double folding doors has been defined, this unit incorporating an air release construction whereby the air residing between the opposed folding sections of the door can easily escape, thereby allowing for a free folding movement of the door. Incidently, as a final point it should be recognized that while some air will escape through the tracks themselves, without the utilization of the intermediate air chamber as discussed supra, the tracks will not allow the rapid movement of a sufficient volume of air so as to achieve the smooth operation provided for by theabove-detailed features.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An overhead track unit for double folding doors comprising a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending overhead tracks, air chamber means defined adjacent said tracks along a substantial portion of the length thereof, air flow permitting means communicating said air chamber means with the air space outside of said track unit, said chamber means being defined between said tracks, a panel extending between said tracks along the length thereof enclosing the bottom of said chamber means, said air flow permitting means comprising a plurality of openings -defined vertically through said panel.

2. The construction of claim 1 including a fascia projecting laterally outward from each track and generally coplanar with said panel, and cornice means enclosing each fascia and the adjacent track.

3. The construction of claim 2 wherein said panel is generally coplanar with the bottoms of said tracks.

4. Folding door construction including a door comprising two laterally spaced generally parallel sections interconnected at the opposite ends thereof to form a hollow chamber door, an overhead track unit, Said track unit including a pair of laterally spaced parallel tracks overlying said door sections, mounting means engaging the upper edge portion of each door section with one of said tracks for sliding movement therealong between a collapsed and an extended position, sealing means engaged between the upper edge portion of each door section and said track unit in a generally air excluding manner, air chamber means extending longitudinally through said track unit laterally of said tracks, air passage means communicating the door chamber with the track unit chamber means for the passage of air from the door chamber to the track unit chamber means in response to a collapsing movement of the door, and a longitudinally extending panel mounted between said tracks, said track unit chamber means being defined between said tracks and above said panel in vertical alignment with the door chamber, said air passage means comprising holes extending vertically through said panel along the length thereof.

5. The construction of claim 4 including a fascia projecting laterally outward from each track and generally coplanar with said panel, and cornice means enclosing each fascia and the adjacent track.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,915,115 l2/l959 Reynolds. 3,082,817 3/1963 Merrill. 3,229,750 1/ 1966 Reynolds. 3,348,628 10/1967 Dixon et al.

PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner. 

